Ladders and scaffolds find applications in many trades, such as the building, painting and cleaning trades. Also, ladders are commonly used in the household for a wide variety of tasks.
Both commercial and household uses of ladders and scaffolds typically involve the use of tools and/or chemical agents, such as cleaners and paints.
Naturally, it is desirable to be able to hold tools and other materials on a ladder or scaffold securely and easily within reach of the user. Many ladders come equipped with fold-out shelves that are part of a folding ladder structure near the top of the ladder and opposite the ladder stairs or rungs. These shelves are difficult to use because they require the user to reach around or through the ladder, they remain only at one height, and they require that the folding ladder be completely unfolded to be operative. Straight ladders typically do not come equipped with shelves.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable shelf that can be used at a variety of heights and on a wide variety of ladders or scaffolds.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a shelf which is convenient to use and which cannot be used improperly as a step.
The present invention also has as an object to provide a shelf or other holder that can be used without interfering with the ascent or descent of the user on the ladder or scaffold.